Remembering Mr. Mondale, 'just a boy from southern Minnesota'

It's been said that democracies get the leaders they deserve. Tributes to Walter Mondale during a memorial service Sunday in Minneapolis raise the question: Did Minnesota deserve Mr. Mondale?

Mr. Mondale died a year ago, and on Sunday a distinguished lineup of speakers described the many ways in which his life's work made our state and nation better.

But that was a different time, some would argue. Presidential historian Jon Meacham, in his remarks, described the politically charged times in 1948 that gave rise to the likes of this state's native son.

“There was anxiety at home and Communist aggression abroad as a Democratic president sought to govern a fractious party and a divided country.”

Meacham paused to allow the laughter in the room to die down.

Mr. Mondale, as he preferred to be called – as opposed to such numerous titles as senator, vice president, ambassador, professor – rose from humble beginnings. A child of the Great Depression and the son of a Methodist minister, he never got too big for his britches.

President Joe Biden described his dear friend this way: “At his core, Fritz embraced everybody, with the belief that everyone's entitled to be treated with dignity.”

Fritz Mondale was the same man whether discussing world affairs with heads of state, or, as Sen. Amy Klobuchar recalled, with the high school kid at the grocery checkout counter.

He was, as Gov. Tim Walz said, “always just a boy from southern Minnesota.”

And he stayed true to the Gospel teachings of his boyhood to lift up the vulnerable.

Indeed, as one speaker after another asserted during the service, Mr. Mondale's primary focus throughout his long and distinguished career was to expand the benefits of democracy to the greatest number.

Sen. Tina Smith cited this tribute by President Barack Obama: “... he helped put the promise of America within the reach of more people.”

To that end, he helped lead passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, a cause that has been diminished in recent years through court rulings and legislative efforts to limit access to the polls.

His work to secure the rights of women stands in sharp contrast with contemporary efforts to undermine those rights. As the first presidential candidate to name a woman as his running mate, he raised the visibility, status and hopes of women everywhere.

I find comfort in the memorials of great Americans. In addition to the Mondale service, assemblies to honor the passing of Colin Powell, John McCain, and more recently Madeleine Albright provide instruction about lives well lived.

This diverse group of distinguished Americans from all walks of life tells the American story and serves as inspiration that America's promise lies not in identity politics but in the opportunities it provides individuals of all races, gender, status or birthplace.

Do their stories provide an answer to the question I posed earlier? Did Americans deserve these great leaders? Did Minnesota deserve Mr. Mondale?

President Biden would argue yes, because “... Fritz reflected the very best qualities of this state.”

We live in troubled and challenging times, with anxiety at home and Russian aggression abroad. With midterm elections pending, we have a Democratic president trying to govern a fractious party and a divided country.

Voting rights and the rights of women are under assault.

As beneficiaries of his legacy, we can honor his memory in the way we conduct our lives. We can resolve to maintain and advance the gains he achieved in our civic life.

We can choose to live with integrity and purpose, and treat others with kindness and respect, in these contentious times – especially in these contentious times, when kindness and respect are in short supply.

And, at a minimum, we can set these qualities as expectations for the leaders we elect. We deserve nothing less.

— This is the opinion of Times Writers Group member Glenda Burgeson, a St. Cloud resident. Her column is published the second Sunday of the month.

This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: Remembering Mr. Mondale, 'just a boy from southern Minnesota'